Celebrate Your Love By Adding This Wow Factor to the Wedding Festivities

What better way to make your wedding day even more memorable than with some amazing fireworks? Celebrate your love by adding a wow factor to the festivities with help from Preston Ward, owner of Prestotechnics. Whether you’re looking for a dazzling exit or a show-stopping first dance display, Preston is sharing a behind the scenes look at what you can do to add some sparkle to your big day.

Keep scrolling for our favorite idea which is a brand new fire and ice display—only for the truly daring couples!

Photo // Rachel Elaine Photography

Fireworks can make a great exit backdrop. What other ways can fireworks be used at weddings?

We conduct a lot of displays immediately after the toasts, at a dancing break time or after the first kiss. They are also great for remembering or honoring loved ones. We had one couple who did a show to their grandparent’s wedding song, and one bride who honored her late brother by having them to his favorite song.

What types of fireworks does Prestotechnics offer for weddings?

We offer three different package tiers: classic, premium and custom. They all include the product, show design, set up, clean up and at least two licensed technicians on site. The difference between the classic and premium is height of the effects and size of the fireworks. The premium and custom shows also include music of your choice during the display, for which we bring our own sound system.

With the custom show package we put the bride and/or groom in the driver’s seat, allowing them full customization of the display which is choreographed to music of their choice.

We also offer sparkler fountain exits. We have two different types of sparkler fountains; a machine that can be used indoor and for closer proximity and “gerbs,” which are what you typically think of when thinking of sparkler fountains and the kind that people typically drive the getaway car through. Also, new for 2019, we offer snow machines for exits or first dances. For those more daring, we have a “fire and ice package” where you can get both fireworks and snow!

Is there a fireworks technician on site or are the fireworks handed over to the couple?

We cannot hand fireworks (other than sparklers) over to customers. What you buy from us is the display, no work on your part. We work with the venue, your coordinator, and always send at least two firework technicians to set up and conduct the display in the safest way possible.  Out of an abundance of caution, we always do more than the minimum required.

What venues are you able to shoot fireworks at? What types are you not?

We can do sparkler fountains, spark machines and snow machines at just about any venue. As for aerial fireworks, it depends on the spacing around the venue.  When you get into more urban environments options start to become limited because spacing is tighter, but usually we can work out some kind of option. Recently, there has been advancements in “close proximity” fireworks. Typically, these are used at stadiums, sporting events or indoor productions. These close proximity fireworks have opened up a lot of different venues where spacing used to be an issue. When we use close proximity products the distance requirements go way down, but alternatively the cost goes up.

How far away from the wedding must fireworks be released?

That depends on how big of a firework you want to use. The state requires 70 feet of distance between the audience and the firing site, per inch of the shell. We also look at things like trees, power lines, buildings, roads, etc. For the close proximity fireworks mentioned earlier, that distance goes down to 35 feet. For sparkler fountains it is 15 feet.

What rules regarding pyrotechnics exist that couples aren’t likely to know?

Every display we do, we are required to get a permit from the city, county, state or multiple agencies. We strive to never say no to a bride and make every display happen, but the amount of time it takes to receive a permit is out of our hands. Almost every city and county has a different procedure. Some can take 30 days, while others may only take a few days. Additionally, some cities won’t let us conduct aerial displays after 10 PM in city limits or require us to have the fire department brush truck on site.

A special thank you to Preston Ward of Prestotechnics for sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how to take a celebration to the next level with a show-stopping display! If you’re interested in making your event one to remember, you can contact the team at Prestotechnics directly through their Brides of North Texas vendor page.